


The Best People in Life are Free

by dls



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: 5+1, Broken Team Dynamics, Civil War Team Iron Man, Gen, Happy!Tony, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Pro-Accords, Tony Stark Gets a Hug, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-17
Updated: 2017-06-17
Packaged: 2018-11-15 04:24:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11223258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dls/pseuds/dls
Summary: It was time for Tony Stark to stop paying for the Avengers’ problems,literally.Or: 5 Things Tony Stark Couldn't Buy with Money and the 1 Thing He Didn't Want to Buy





	The Best People in Life are Free

**Author's Note:**

> I was getting some major post-Civil War feels, namely feeling bitter and heartbroken for Tony. So I wrote this to make myself feel better (and to feed my 5+1 addiction).
> 
> References/Quotes:   
>  Title from "New Romantics" by Taylor Swift.

**One.**

After the Chitauri Invasion, Tony poured money into reconstruction efforts. He hosted parties, organized fundraisers, and even auctioned himself off,  _an evening with Iron Man_ , at a gala.

If he were honest with himself, it wasn't all altruism fueling his drive. The Avengers Initiative was new and their first mission had ended in victory but also millions of dollars' worth of damages. The public opinion toward them was favorable, but for how long? How long before the people stop praising the heroes and start wondering why their cars were crushed, or their homes demolished, or their bodies injured?

The time to frame their narrative was  _now_. Tony was the best equipped to deal with the shady politics and intricate connections of the New York elites, and he took on the role with wholehearted dedication.

"Tsk." Clint scoffed as he crumpled the newspaper, the headline read  _Tony Stark, Genius Billionaire Playboy Philanthropist_. "You know money can't buy you respect right?" He laughed, indicating it was  _probably_  a joke, and tossed the balled-up newspaper in the trashcan with his eyes closed.

 

**Two.**

It was clear to Tony that when Natasha released all of SHIELD's files onto the internet, she hadn't considered the wide-reaching consequences. Luckily for the legitimate and loyal SHIELD agents and their families, Tony did. He immediately set about to relocate and recover the agents, using whatever resources he had on hand. Vacation homes were turned into safe houses, boats and cars used for extractions, and identities were forged and purged through questionable and expensive means.

When it was all over, Tony went to update Natasha. It wasn't an attempt to fish for compliments, though some recognition would have been nice or a quick phone call would have been better because Tony and JARVIS could have prevented all this mess. He had only wanted to give her some peace, a rare commodity for people like them, with so much red in their ledgers.

"Stay out of my business." Natasha glared, a metallic gleam in her eyes and up her sleeves. Tony took a quick step back. "You're even more pathetic than I thought if you believed money can buy you peace of mind."

 

**Three.**

After Ultron, the Avengers relocated to the Stark Compound in upstate New York. With the expanded roster, Falcon and Scarlet Witch, the team would need a larger training arena but a more intimate shared living space to build rapport.

Tony agreed, designing and installing the compound with state-of-the-art technology and equipment, but he wondered. Why would the Avengers need more space when the number of active members remained the same with Iron Man and the Hulk stepping down? Why wasn't the tower, with its more compact floorplan, not as cozy as the sprawling compound? The questions remained unasked, because he knew the answer but did not want it confirmed. They ricocheted in his mind and rattled in his chest, interrupting his thoughts and bruising his heart.

Steve came by the tower to pick up his motorcycle, the one Tony had built and customized to Steve's specification.

"Enjoy the compound!" Tony said with forced cheer. "Your new home sweet home, paid for by yours truly." He winced at the ill-concealed bitterness.

Steve slid on the helmet. "You can buy a house, but not a home." His voice was muffled behind the visor, but the words rang loud and clear. Like a gunshot. "It's all about who's there with you."

 

**Four.**

Steve's decision to add Wanda to the Avengers' roster was one of controversy and attracted a great deal of attention from the public. The paparazzi immediately picked up on the interest in the Scarlet Witch and hounded her every move, from her missions as an Avengers to her grocery trips, all the while shouting invasive questions and outlandish speculations. They gave her a wider berth after she sent two of them to their knees with a flash of red, but those incidents made for entertaining stories, exciting footage, and expensive pay-offs. So they continued to hound her. 

Tony tried to help, explaining that it was easier to smile and get on with her day than to engage and make it a bigger story. If he mentioned the money he spent on making assault charges disappear and replacing broken equipment, it was meant to be a gesture of good will and to demonstrate consequences. 

Wanda did not see it that way. She snarled, red tendrils sparked menacingly from her fingertips and in her eyes. "You will never buy my forgiveness, Stark! You murdered my parents, you monster!"

 

**Five.**

First New York. Then Sokovia. Now Lagos.

The Accords had been in the works for a long time, an expansive and extensive international document did not get proposed, drafted, and approved overnight. Tony wasn't surprised, he knew this was inevitable the moment a wormhole opened above his tower. He'd expected the Avengers' reluctance and resistance, they had never expressed interest in or displayed understanding of how they, as superheroes, fit in with the world. The world was never meant to mold around them.

What he hadn't anticipated was their blind faith to a man out of his time and out of sync with the world.  

Tony talked, ranted and pled. He listed all the destruction and deaths they had inflicted upon the world. He berated their head-in-the-sand approach when confronted with a real problem. He begged them to trust him, he deserved that after all he had done, the strings he'd pulled and the favors he'd promised to prevent any sort of a registration act from being included in the Accords.

"Look, we appreciate the compound and the cool gadgets and all the other stuff you've done." Sam tapped Red Wing gently and watched it flit away with a smile, which faded when he turned his attention back to Tony. "But money can't buy loyalty and we're sticking with Cap on this."

 

**One.**

Siberia.

When FRIDAY lost contact with the suit, she immediately alerted Vision and briefed him on the situation. She told him everything.

The Winter Soldiers. The night of December 16, 1991. The lie.

Hope was at Stark Tower, meeting with Vision. Shaken and upset by what happened in Germany, she wanted to help to locate Scott and the stolen Ant Man suit. When the distress call came in, she volunteered to accompany an understandably distraught android and provide back-up. Given that time was of the essence, she contacted an old friend who recently had a drastic career shift from renowned neurosurgeon to Sorcerer Supreme. Stephen was opening a portal to Siberia before he'd stepped through the one connecting the New York Sanctum with Stark Tower.

*

Tony returned from that particular frozen hell with fractured ribs, a severe concussion, and multiple contusions.

The doctors estimated the physical injuries would in weeks, but there was no telling how long his psychological and emotional wounds would need to heal. If ever. If at all.

It was a slow progress. So often the body didn't recognize how badly it was hurt, becoming desensitized out of necessity to function, until the pain went away.

But eventually, one day, Tony woke up and felt...fine, for lack of a better word. He listened to FRIDAY's Irish reminding him of the various appointments of the day while getting dressed. As he walked into the kitchen, Stephen squinted at the  _Strange is My Doctor_  coffee mug on the counter and it bubbled with fresh Italian dark roast. Tony scowled playfully before picking it up and taking a large gulp, unable to resist the lure of caffeine despite the ridiculous mug.

Across the room, Peter was tapping away at a StarkPad, most likely retweeting any and all Iron Man article he'd found with enthusiastic and excessive exclamation points. Tony padded over to the common area, absently noting the grocery list on the fridge with Vision's familiar scrawl. The TV was on, Hope and Pepper were handling the press conference with cutting finesse and graceful ruthlessness. 

The elevator arrived with a  _ding_ , and Rhodey hurried out with a manic grin and waved a magazine gleefully. Before Tony could even bemoan the  _primitiveness_ of print media, Rhodey had shoved the article of interest in front of him, nearly knocking over the cup of coffee. On the glossy page, there were side-by-side photos of Stephen and Tony and blurbs comparing their facial hair styles and designs. 

Tony sputtered at his loss.

Rhodey looped him in a mocking and comforting hug.

Stephen cackled at his close-win by 2%.

Peter snapped a photo to share on social media, with FRIDAY suggesting possible hashtags. 

Vision floated through the walls to investigate the commotion.

Hope's and Pepper's voices drifted from the TV. 

Tony smiled and realized he felt better than fine.

He felt  _happy_. He felt  _at home_. He felt _loved._

*

Predictably, Steve had sought sanctuary in Wakanda after breaking his teammates out of the Raft. T'Challa had granted their request then immediately informed the Accords panel of this development. It was concluded that Wakanda was the best option until a resolution could be reached. The Avengers were simply too dangerous to be set loose upon the world.

Months had passed and the former superheroes had grown restless, feeling replaced as they watched the New Avengers defend the world with ease. Discontent, they signed the Accords, on the condition that they would be fully pardoned of any criminal wrongdoings, and returned to New York with victory singing in their veins and triumph in their steps, believing they had won. That belief last until they landed and were greeted by their former teammate, Iron Man.

"Welcome back." Tony waved, but there was no friendliness in his movement. "Congratulations on receiving pardons for your impressively long list of crimes."

A diminutive-looking woman stepped forward timidly. She held a stack of envelopes in her hands. One by one, she called on the Avengers and handed each one of them several envelopes. "You have been served." She announced.

Shocked exclamations rang out as they ripped open the envelopes and scanned the contents. Multiple civil lawsuits, spanning from personal injuries to breach of contract to divorce proceedings.

A chorus of complaints and demands for Tony to fix this mess broke out, entitled and misinformed.

"No." Tony smirked, sharp and satisfied, scanning the stunned faces of his former teammates. "See, I've finally learned that money can't buy everything." He activated the Iron Man armor, floating up a few feet and looking down on the people he once looked up to. "So, this is me.  _Not buying your crap anymore._ " With a roar of the repulsors, he took to the skies, leaving the team of traitors far, far behind.

**Author's Note:**

> [dls-ao3.tumblr.com](https://dls-ao3.tumblr.com/)


End file.
